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Taken from POST-TRASH (Nov 25, 2024)
Queen Serene - "2" | Album Review
by Kris Handel
Queen Serene - "2". Coverwork |
2 is indeed the second album from Texan four-piece Queen Serene and within the confines of its release we find a band honing their biting, muscular, guitar-forward spirit with a gauzy musical intensity that refuses to wither. The duo of guitarist/vocalists Sarah Ronan and and Matt Galceran deliver heavy crunching riffs as the rhythm section of Dale Pohly and Riley Corcoran shift and squirm through waves of distortion and disorientation with finesse. Queen Serene's songwriting has become a little more expansive and sturdy as the band continues to stretch their imaginations with noise-rock inflected art-rock that will grab your attention immediately. The combined power of the band is ferocious while still allowing some tenderness and inquisitiveness into the modern social landscape and they are unafraid to ask necessary questions of themselves and others.
"Glowing" comes storming out of the gates as Corcoran’s drums pound thunderously through reverberating tremolo laden clouds while the dreamy vocals of Ronan and Galceran hum and float around the background. Queen Serene flex their muscle here as moments of prog-metal and mathy clamor cede to a more shimmering dreamy haze before exploding to the fore once again with extreme force showing off their versatility and growing confidence. "In a Rut (I'm Stuck)" brings back the arty-groove found prominently on the debut but with an accentuated jazzy-lounge air similar to Stereolab amid wobbly screaming guitar leads and spiky rhythm guitar clanking. Ronan's bright vocals mesh well with the deeper tones of Galceran’s as the rhythm section dip and dive around squalls of reverb and impressively crafty riffs that melt into each other commendably.
The growth from the debut to this release is quite noticeable and the added clarity in musical approach and brightness in sound shows the multi-faceted talents these musicians truly possess. The jumpy quirkiness of their more anxious songs bring and added energy to the crunching reverb and darker impulses that alternately rears its head on this compelling record. There is a controlled chaos which allows Queen Serene to show off the many sides of a band that at times encourage the listener to drift away into outer space before quickly crashing back to reality with a thud of powerful noise. Each song on this six track album gives the audience a lot to consider, providing a very entertaining listen that will enliven your earbuds in the best ways imaginable.
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